"You seem disappointed that I came back alive," Yvonne sneered.


    "The witch has some nerve,” George spat, no longer bothering to hide the malice in


    his eyes.


    Yvonne shot back, "So you admit you hired someone to kill me!”


    "So what if I did? Do you have any proof?" George scoffed.


    Yvonne''s lips tightened. No, she didn''t have proof, but that didn''t mean George would walk free.


    "Who were you just talking to on the phone?" Yvonne asked, her face stern.


    "You beast, since when is it your ce to meddle in my affairs?" George roared, his eyes wide with fury.


    But Yvonne remained unfazed by his outburst. As the top student at the police academy, she knew how to control her own emotions while working to break down her opponent''s psychological defenses.


    "It was someone from the Rogers family, wasn''t it?" Yvonne pressed on. "Your backer is the Rogers family. That''s how Queena was able to marry up and get engaged to Oscar."


    George''s face remained cold, but a flicker of panic crossed his eyes.


    "Why aren''t you saying anything? I guessed right, didn''t I?" Yvonne stared into his eyes, closing in on him.


    "It doesn''t matter if you talk or not. I was able to put Colin behind bars back then, and I can do the same to you now. And in the future, I''ll send the Rogers family to join you."


    "What are you talking about?" George''s eyes widened in disbelief as he stared at her. The person standing before him was a world apart from the timid, abused Yvonne he once knew.


    "Who are you?" George asked in a raspy voice.


    "Do you remember another Yvonne? I told you, vengeful spirits alwayse back for those who wronged them," Yvonne said, leaning in, her gaze sharp enough to pierce through him.


    An inexplicable chill ran up George''s spine, and his body began to tremble uncontrobly.


    Of course, he remembered the name Yvonne.


    She was Colin''s mistress. After the Gonzalez family fell, Colin had even asked him to look after her before he died. But then his superior discovered she was actually an undercover cop.


    They had gone to great lengths to silence her.


    "Yvonne, stop with your ghost stories! Anyone who crosses me meets a bad end. I can kill them once, and I can do it again!"


    George yelled, but his face was deathly pale.


    He raised a trembling hand and pointed at Yvonne''s nose. "I am your biological father! What good does it do you to ruin me? You beast, aren''t you afraid of retribution?"


    "Having a father who''s worse than


    an animalis a tragedy for me. George, you''ve harmed so many


    peo


    and you''re not afraid of


    retribution. What do I have to be. afraid of?"


    Yvonneughed coldly.


    Consumed by rage, George raised his hand to p her, just as Teresa and Queena wereing down the stairs.


    Queena was wearing a pair of antique jade-and-gold bracelets on her wrist-part of Teresa''s wedding gifts, priceless relics from the old imperial court.


    "Yvonne, you''re back! What are you two talking about?” Teresa asked, looking between her husband and daughter.


    "We''re discussing life''s great truths. What goes around,es around The wicked will get what''sing to them, it''s just a matter of time. Don''t you agree, Dad?"


    Yvonne said with a sweet smile.


    George''s face was still a mask of cold fury. He lowered his arm without a word.


    "Yes, yes, you''re absolutely right,” Teresa said with augh, casually agreeing. "Yvonne, look! Aren''t my jade-and-gold bracelets beautiful? They were part of Mom''s wedding gifts from Grandma, and she''s giving them to me for my wedding." Queena held up her wrist, her eyes full of smug pride.